Electric contact device



June 19, 1928. 1,674,604

A. s. MOON ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE Filed June 24, 1927 INVENTOR.

5;. 2. mumm B A TTORNEYS.

housing,

Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED STATES AB'IEB S. MOONQ OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE.

Application filed June 24, 1927. Serial No. 201,217.

This invention relates to improvements in electric contact devices, and has particular reference to an economical circuit making and breaking device. The device is particularly adapted to be employed for flashing a sign, such as a barbers sign where 1t is desired to flash different colored lights alternately.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a device which is simple in constructionand therefore economical to manufacture.

Another object is to produce a device which ma be employed with the standard barber p0 e having a motor drive connected therewith.

A further object is to produce a device of this character'which can'be readily installed in a small space.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description,

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are em loyed to designate like parts throughout t e same,

Figure I is a side elevation of my device as the same would appear in a suitable Figure II is a top plan view of the contact disc and contact positioned thereon, and

Figure III is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the manner of forming the movable contacts.

In places such as barbers poles, it is common to emplo a plurality of colored lights such as re whlte and blue and to alternately flash these lights. The present method of flashing consists in employing an electric motor having contacts thereon, which is a complicated mechanism and costlyto purchase.

I have therefore produced a very simple making and breaking device which may be supported on the customary clock motor employed to rotate the barbers pole and b so doing a single contactis rotated beneat a plurality of movable contacts, with the result that the various colored lights are alternately flashed.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a housing having a door 6 which provides access to the mechanism positioned therein. The numeral 7 vertically positioned shaft 8 at a uniform speed. The speed is controlled by a ball governor 9 which contacts a felt ring 11- thereby maintaining the speed of the motor uniform.

Positioned upon the vertical shaft 8 is an insulating disc 12. This insulating disc is provided with two shoulders 13 and 14 and an lip-standing central portion 16. Inclined surfaces extend from each of the shoulders around the up-standing portion 16 and are designated at 17 and 18. The inclined surface 17 has positioned thereon a contact 19 which is of considerable length so as to give considerable duration of illumination during the contacting period as will be later described. I

This contact 19 has an up-standing lug 21, which lug is bent horizontally as shown at 22 so as to form a centrally positioned contact. Supported upon the frame of the motor 7 are brackets 23 and 24 which support an insulating disc 26, through the center of which extends the bared end of an ordinary insulated electric wire. This wire is designated by the numeral 27 and the bared end by the numeral 28.

This bared end 28 is bent-as at 29 so as to engage a centrally positioned contact formed upon the up-standing lug 21. W

Similar electric wires 31, 32 and 33 have their lower extremities bared and are secured to the periphery of the insulating disc 26 as by stra s 34. -As the lower extremities of each 0 these wires 31', 32 and 33 are bent in a similar manner, but one will be described.

Referring to Figure III, it will be noted that the wire 33 has its lower end bared and bent at right angles as at 36 so as to form a horizontal portion 37. An eye 38 is now formed'midway of the horizontal portion,

after which the wire is bent downwardly.

and upwardly as shown at 39 and 41, so as to The result of this structure is that when the device is in operation and the insulatin disc 12' is rotated, the movable contact wil first ride upon the inclined surface 18 and will drop, from the shoulder 14 onto the contact 19, and after passing over the same, will drop from the shoulder 13 onto the inclined surface 18.

Due to the fact that the wire 27 is a common wire to all the lights'in the circuit and due to the fact that the wires 31, 3'2 and 33 extend to their individual lights, when the movable contact engages the contact 19, a circuit will beestablished from the wire 27 through the central positioned contact 22 and thence through the up-standing lug 21 to the contact 19, and thence by movable. contact 42 to the wire 37 and back to. the opposite side of the circuit.

The fact that the movable contact rubs upon the opposite sides of the U-shaped guide assures electrical contact at all times, and due to the fact that the movable contacts operate by gravity there is no liability of the device not, functioning due to the breakag ze of springs and the like.

It will thus be seen that the device may be easily installed with a minimum amount of expense and that the device will .func tion as long as the motor operates.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes relative to the shape,size, material and arrangement of parts may be resorted 'to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having. thus claim:-.-

' 1. Ina device of the character described, a rotatable disc having shoulders formed thereon, a contact: positioned between two of described my invention, I

said shoulders, an up-standing lug secured to said contactand having a portion centrally disposed with relation to said disc,

rality of wires secured to the periphery of said second disc, each of said wires having a loop formed therein, and a movable contact engaging each of said 'loops and having their free ends supported on said first mentioned disc, for thepurpose specified,

2. In a device of the character described, a rotatable disc having shoulders formed thereon, a contact positioned between two of said-shoulders, an up-standing lug secured to said contact and having-a portion centrally disposed with relation to said disc, a second insulating disc positioned above said first mentioned 'disc, and held stationary with respect thereto, a wire centrally positioned within said second mentioned disc, and having its lower extremity engaging said centrally positioned contact, and a plurality of wires secured to the periphery of said second disc, each of said wires having a loop formed therein, each of said wires being further bent so as to form U-shaped guides, movable contact members, each of said contact members having a hooked end engaging one of said loops, the opposite end of said contact member being adapted-to engage said contact on said first mentioned disc, said movable contacts being maintained in fixed position against lateral movement by said U-shaped guide.

ture.

-ARTER s. MOON.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa- 

